Do you wonder why you got that flat tire today? Or why that favorite heirloom plate managed to slip through your fingers and smash to bits at the family dinner?
Ever since human beings have walked the planet, they have wondered why it was their stone ax that broke, their cow that quit giving milk or why their computer crashed, deleting the novel that would have brought them fame and fortune.
Such misfortune is often ascribed to a turn of bad luck, lack of luck or more darkly, to the casting of the "evil eye."
In this season of Samhain chaos rules and as such, you may find yourself more frequently the subject of the seemingly random annoyances and frustrations that the fickle fingers of fate see fit to weave into our lives.
As humanity has always faced these challenges, it is fitting for us to take a look at some of the methods our ancestors employed to keep them just this side of harm's way.
Talismans, amulets, potions and ritual sayings have always figured high on the list of self protection devices. While burglar alarms and barred windows may be your idea of security, our ancestors were more concerned with their soul's well-being. Investment in a witch's ball for example, might keep the thought of harm, as well as the attempted action of it from you in the first place.
Witch's balls are globes of glass which you may find hanging in a friend or neighbor's home even today. There are several types and all have the same principal function, to ward ill will away from its owner, whether by reflecting it back to the would be evil-doer, or catching the misanthropic thoughts in the glass strands blown into the centre of the globe (similar to the First Nations' dream catcher).
Glass globes have been used for centuries and their descendants hang upon our Christmas trees brightly reflecting holiday cheer or in gardens as large silvered Victorian gazing balls which mirror the beauty of their surroundings.
Knotwork hung in and around windows works much the same way, ensnaring evil spirits forever in its woven grasp. Traditional religious icons such as crosses can be useful as well, but as with all other talismans, the owner must have faith in its ability to protect, otherwise it is as worthless as any other empty knic-knac.
And it is here we find our kernel of truth: it does not really matter in what one invests their faith, a stone statue, a graceful globe or a bit of paper with the word "safe" written on it and tucked into the recesses of an overstuffed backpack.
It is the underlying belief invested in objects which results in its protective qualities. That isn't to say that one cannot successfully hang a witch's ball or Bridget's cross in the kitchen just be sure to ask its protection first and show yourself worthy of the relationship.
Good luck to you, reader. However you find it, may you keep it. The season of Samhain bears upon us now but the light of the Winter Solstice twinkles gently on the dark horizon.